En otras palabras contains two kinds of translation texts: Spanish to be translated into English, and English into Spanish. Translating into English requires students to understand every detail of the Spanish text, and then decide how these details might best be expressed in English. Translating into Spanish requires students to recognize how Spanish structures and words do—and do not—parallel those of English. Both activities provide advanced students of Spanish with an invigorating linguistic workout, and serve as an effective introduction to the practice of translation.